...random ramblings by me: Amy.

May 31, 2014

Happy Saturday! I've been having technical issues today, and was in a hurry to get this post up but the weather's turned and it looks like rain so I guess I'm no longer in a hurry to take my kids for a walk! :P

Anywho, I've been posting on my Instagram account a few pics about my watercolor obsession the past couple of days (really it's been going on a while but yesterday and today I've been making cards and filming videos and they ALL involve watercolor), and have another card and video:

I used the same Stamping Bella Flower Garden stamp that I used on yesterday's card, but this time I used my Peerless watercolors to color in the image.

If you missed my review/explanation of what the Peerless watercolors are you can check out my blog post here on them:

May 30, 2014

Hey everyone! I'd meant to have this posted earlier today, but the local pool opened yesterday and my kids were dying to go swimming, then the lawn had to be mowed, and a little person needed her bath.....ya know - life!

Anywho are y'all tired of the watercoloring? I hope not because I can't seem to stop LOL! I'm *really* having fun with it - and for this card I pulled out my Distress Markers:

I've been itching to use this Flower Garden stamp I got from Stamping Bella not too long ago - I LOVE floral line images for coloring and this one with it's scribbly lines is PERFECT for experimenting with IMO!

I also pulled out my old Great Greetings stamp set that I haven't used in forever - I chose the hello stamp from the set and embossed it onto some vellum with black embossing powder. Normally I'm not a fan of black EP because it's so messy - but I don't like the look of stamping in black and embossing with clear on vellum - to me it looks washed out.

Funny story - so if you watch Kristina Werner's videos (and if you don't you should) you'll know she does this thing with water in her hand to make it fall in droplets on her Distress Ink colored images. Looks pretty easy right? Well I tried it on this image and edited out my big eff-up LOL - lets just say there weren't so much droplets as a big splat of water :P. Thankfully I had the paper towel right beside me and was able to mop it up before I totally ruined the watercoloring. So that's why I chose to flick the water on with a brush - more control for me...

I was worried I'd made a mess of the inside of the card, but I really am happy with how it turned out. And now I'm wondering if I could pull it off again on a card of it's own as I'd like to have something like this on the *front* of a card...

May 29, 2014

Finally getting a chance to share this card and video I did using Art Impressions Girlfriends Hop Hop image and Peerless watercolors.

I was totally inspired by this card Kristina Werner made with another image from this series (that's on my list to get eventually), she colored hers in with Distress markers and it looks fabulous.

I thought I'd use my Peerless watercolors for mine, and this is my first time attempting people images with these watercolors. I talk a bit about my frustrations when making this card, but in the end I'm OK with it. It's all practice!

I of course added a bit of shimmer with my Wink of Stella pens (yellow and silver), that as always is so hard to capture on camera :P.

May 28, 2014

This was another card I'd made a while ago when I was on a stencil kick. I hadn't had a chance to edit everything until now so here it is!

I used The Crafter's Workshop Mini Cosmic Swirl Stencil for the background with some Distress Markers and my Spritzer Tool. SO easy and so fun to do. To go along with that I used one of my MFT butterfly Die-namics and a sentiment from my Winged Greetings stamp set.

You've been using your copic airbrush system recently and I'm thinking it might be something for me to get. But I'm wondering whether I should go for the compressor or canisters. Seems in the long term the compressor would be the way to go. Is there a reason you went 'canister only'?

How do you find time to craft with children and your nail business? Any tips?

Hi! I've read that as an alternative to odorless mineral spirits, you can use Goo-Gone or baby oil to blend colored pencils like Prismacolor, etc. Have you ever tried it and if so, does it leave an "oil stain" on your paper? Prismacolor Pencils and OMS Info VIDEO

I've noticed the ikea cart in a few different videos lately. I was wondering if you like it/are happy with it?

Hello everyone :). I've been playing around with watercolor a LOT - since before and after taking the Online Card Class Watercolor for Cardmakers (you can still sign up for it and take it at your own pace - you get unlimited lifetime access once you've purchased your class) - it's fun!

I have a set of watercolors in my nail art stash that I've had for a really long time and never used as I decided I didn't want to get into doing that sort of art for clients enhancements or my own - so I took the set to use for cards and playing around with. I don't have a source for them right now but I've linked to a couple of sets in the supplies that are similar.

First time ever making a 4-Bar sized card - 3.5 by 4 7/8". It's different and I like it :)

I was stumped at first on how to use this Magenta Small Deer Family stamp as it's a lot smaller than I thought it would be - and would get lost on a A2 sized card IMO. I was playing around with the watercolor and decided to make a "scene" for the deer and put it on a smaller card and this was the end result:

I love that every time you do this technique it looks different:

My original "just playing around" piece is on the left with the one for today on the right.

May 25, 2014

Well I didn't post nearly as much as I usually do last week, there were blog issues again, and with Katelyn and I being sick I had NO creative energy. I still don't honestly. I'm struggling to get things made to meet deadlines and am still not feeling well. Blah!

Anywho here's what went up on my blog last week - LOL it looks like all I did was shop!

Yes those :P. I still need to do the Q&A video I promised I'd do in the video from that post. My voice was shot from coughing and I just haven't had the energy. Hopefully though within the next day or two I can get on that :).

Ordered some goodies from SSS as I had a discount code from the latest Online Card Class. I'd actually received this haul and filmed it before last week - but with the blog issues I couldn't post anything so it had to wait.

May 24, 2014

I'm still playing catch up - I've got haul videos today, I posted a card making video yesterday, and have a list as long as my arm for product reviews, the Q&A video, more cardmaking videos etc etc etc. It's all good things :) - one thing (or in today's case two) at a time.

So yeah a couple of orders placed separately but arriving at around the same time - then sitting in the box until I was feeling better enough to film :P. Katelyn's still not herself and on top of being sick she's been teething horribly so she's been in no mood to be in videos so no cute little hands this time around sorry ;).

May 23, 2014

Hey hey everyone. Katelyn and myself are FINALLY feeling better - not 100% but a lot better than we were! It's been a rough week. I know when I'm really sick when new goodies arrive in the mail and I don't even have the energy to open the box(es!) - so I'll have a couple of haul videos being posted back-to-back over the weekend - something to look forward to after feeling so rotten!

I found out today that I didn't make it past the first round in the Gallery Idol challenge - it was a rough start to the day (I'll admit I was on my laptop this morning checking out their blog post first thing and SO hoping I'd made it!) but I'll get over it! I think I will still try out for it again next year and see what happens :). There were a lot of really fabulous cards that were submitted and I think they did a great job with the ones that were selected to move on to the next round!

Anywho - I had this video filmed and thankfully it wasn't one needing a voiceover so I made some time today to get it edited and uploaded. I was playing around with my new SSS Balloon dies and stamps that I got recently and decided to make a bunch of birthday cards:

and here's the insides:

Here's the one I made for the video:

Really fun and easy - just die cutting and adhering. FYI I purposely left out the tiny little dots for the "i" in Birthday - it was just easier to omit it.

I am in LOVE with my Ranger Multi Medium Matte - it is perfect for adhering twine like this, and sequins and ribbon and whatnot.

May 20, 2014

Well things appear to be back working normally here on my blog again so we'll see! Between that and my internet issues, and deleting videos off my camera (I can be very NOT tech-friendly at times) - it's been a frustrating several days on the technology front! :P

To top it off both Katelyn and I are sick - so I don't know when I'll do the Q&A video (was planning on doing it ASAP) but I'm so stuffed up and miserable that it's not pretty LOL! Hopefully this blows over soon (especially for the bug - I hate when my kids are sick - I just feel rotten for them) and I can get back to getting things done :).

ETA - sorry I forgot to link to Online Card Classes that I mention in the video :P. SO sick still :(

Anywho - I've got another haul video for you guys. I had a lot of shopping therapy throughout April - there were discount codes and all sorts of new products coming out and I sold some old furniture items and whatnot to fund *several* online orders LOL! I tend to store things in our garage as I move furniture and things around a lot but the past couple of years I've been making myself get rid of items that are no longer needed or that just sit forever taking up space. Having a third child and all the baby furniture/toys/clothes that they need really makes one pare down on everything else!

So here's what I got from SimonSaysStamp - and sorry Katelyn's not in this video - I'd filmed it with her and then accidentally deleted it from my camera (tech issues!) so refilmed it late the other night after everyone was in bed:

Well if you're reading this it means my blog is back up and working again. Typepad was hit by another DDoS attack yesterday so the network was down. I was getting e-mails and questions on my Facebook page and my YouTube channel so I posted a quick update video for everyone.

FYI Facebook is the best place to find me when things like this happens - at least it's always active LOL! My blog was down for almost a week last month after similar attacks (not directed at me but at my blog provider).

I tried a couple of times last night to post this but I kept getting error messages and things freezing up on me (so while the blog was showing up for readers there are still issues behind the scenes) so I finally gave up.

I will link to the update video HERE <------click! And then see if I can get the video to embed in this post (that was one of the biggest issues - trying to get a video IN the post).

Anywho in the video I gave an impromptu studio tour - nothing too exciting, and then decided I'll do a question and answer video since it's been a long time since I've done that. So if you've got any questions for me post them in the comment section below!

And if things cooperate I plan on posting more today and throughout the next few days so keep checking back in!

May 18, 2014

Here's what went up on my blog last week! I posted a LOT last week so be sure to scroll through and see if you missed anything (my e-mail subscribers especially as that seems to be a hit and a miss sometimes - and I have no clue how to fix it :P).

Finally a fun boy card with a video. So wishing I'd had some action wobblers for this card when I made it (I *just* got some this week and can't wait to play with them) - it would have been the perfect touch!

I've wanted to try out for this contest for years now - and every time I either missed the boat, didn't have the creative energy, or didn't think my cards were good enough (I've always got excuses). I don't have the greatest luck with contests but it doesn't kill a person to give it a shot! It's better to try and fail than to not try at all - something I need to work on :).

So when I saw their post and it said the first challenge was to come up with creative ways to use washi tape I sat down and ended up making all 3 of these cards back to back:

I covered some white card stock with washi tape then die cut it with my MFT Star STAX Die-namics.

I'm using Doodlebug's Assorted Washi Tape tube for all of these cards - so then I used some of their textured card stock and doodle twine too - love the bright colors!

For my second card I had the idea to create birthday candles - this washi tape is the perfect width and with the diagonal stripes I thought they'd make perfect little candles.

I just tore the different tapes unevenly and then applied them at different heights to the card stock.

I used a black pen to draw in the "wicks" and then for the actual flames I just free-hand cut some yellow card stock, then colored in the centers with a Copic marker (YR04).

The sentiment is another one from my Great Birthday Greetings set - it was part of the inspiration for this card as well - I was looking at it and the wheels started to turn LOL!

Now for my third card - this time I wanted to make something definitely masculine:

I only used 2 washi tapes - the grey and the white, and overlapped them with strips of Doodlebug Beetle Black and Slate Grey card stock, then stamped another sentiment from my Great Birthday Greetings set and added a few Doodlebug Sprinkles enamel dots.

And the inside:

So those are my three submissions into the contest! The open auditions end tomorrow so I'll know soon whether or not I make it to the next round. There are so many fabulous submissions already (you can see them all HERE) that we'll see if I get through!

May 17, 2014

Today I've got a fun boy-themed card for y'all - it's the other one I mentioned when I posted this card - and FINALLY got the time to upload it today for you guys:

I don't get a reason to make boy cards too often (having 3 girls of my own!) so I jumped at the chance to make a couple birthday cards that were needed for birthday parties my younger brother was invited to. After making and posting the monster card I made this one.

I couldn't capture it in the video nor in this picture but I coated his eye mask and lightning bolt with black Wink of Stella for just a bit of shimmer - nothing too crazy *wink*.

And the inside:

And as I did with the other card I decorated the envelope to match:

I really need to make a habit of doing this more often when I can. I love the look of the envelope matching the card and it just completes everything!